I am sure regular readers of my blog (hi Mum) will be most disappointed to learn that I have no amusing thermometer based anecdotes this time as I have run out!

I haven’t actually run out, I’ve got loads.

I just thought I would try and be a bit more informative this time with an article about radiator thermometers – and keeping warm and saving money is no laughing matter!

Central Heating and Radiator Thermometers

Via our on-line thermometer shop we receive regular enquiries from both homeowners and tradesmen looking for a suitable thermometer capable of checking the temperatures of both radiators and central heating pipes.

Whilst we find that there is a high demand for this type of instrument (especially recently during the extremely cold spell we have had), it is a corner of the market that is very badly served by thermometer manufacturers.

We have found that there is very little choice, and what is available is not really accurate enough for the job in hand.

There are generally two models available, both of which are bi-metal dial type:

There are inherent problems with both these thermometers. Firstly, bi-metal type thermometers aren’t particularly accurate which is not helpful when trying to ‘balance’ radiator temperatures. The spring clips on the pipe thermometers are very tricky to attach and aren’t very good at holding the thermometer in a fixed position.

The magnetic thermometers are accurate enough, but will only work on ferrous metal (steel radiators only), and even then, only on radiators that haven’t had 10 coats of paint applied over the years!

We as thermometer sellers have found the increase in demand for this type of temperature monitoring, countered by a lack of choice of instrument, increasingly frustrating.

The Ideal Heating System Thermometer?

With this in mind we have taken it upon ourselves to put together a custom made kit to cater specifically to this market. We wanted one thermometer that could accurately take temperatures of both pipe work and radiators, and this is what we have come up with:

We have combined an accurate digital thermometer with an ‘industrial’ type clamp probe which can attach to both radiators and heating pipes.

This thermometer has that added advantage of accepting a wide range of readily available probes which means it can be used for a vast range of other temperature monitoring tasks, making it a very versatile and cost effective proposition. All for just a few pounds more than the bi-metal type instruments.

As you’d expect, this accurate pipe clamp thermometer kit is exclusively available from the Thermometer Superstore, so why not visit us for more information?

A Few Energy Saving Tips

As this is a more serious post, let’s finish it with a few helpful tips regards being green, energy efficient and saving money all at the same time:

Turn down the radiators in any spare rooms. After all, why pay for a warm room with nobody in it?

If you have one, turn your room thermostat down by just 1ºC and you could save quite a bit of money without ever noticing the difference.

Be sure to bleed your radiators at least once a year. Radiators are much more efficient when hot water can flow into every part of them.

If you have an adjustable thermostat for your hot water you should set it to no hotter than 60°C. Any higher is a waste of energy and could scald.

Remember to turn down your heating when you’re going away for any length of time. 5°C – 10°C should be plenty to prevent interior pipes freezing.